Xylanase-producing microflora in Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India

We screened soil samples collected from underneath shrubs and/or large trees at different locations in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh for xylanase-producing microorganisms. Xylose-utilizing bacteria were numerically dominant in soils of most locations whereas xylose- and xylan-utilizing actinobacteria were minor components. Xylan-utilizing fungi constituted a major share of total microbial populations in soil samples collected at half of the sites, whereas xylan-utilizing bacteria were predominant at other sampling locations. Some of the isolates of fungi exhibited xylanase activity with a range of 400-4000 U/ml, indicating great potential for their uses in paper, pulping and bioethanol industries for producing value-added products.